Graham puts forth ground rules for Iran negotiations, says 'we're in trouble' until certain changes made
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says it is "too early to tell" whether Iran has given up on its ambitions to become a nuclear power on Sunday.
Graham made the statement during a Sunday morning appearance on ABC's "This Week," saying he agrees that the sites the U.S. struck were "obliterated," but he remains concerned about Iran's uranium supply.
"Operation Midnight Hammer was a tremendous military success. It set the program back, I think, a couple years. But the question for the world is: Does the regime still desire to make a nuclear weapon? The answer is yes. Do they still desire to destroy Israel and come after us? The answer is yes."
"Until that changes, we're in trouble," he continued, adding that he believes Iran must meet certain requirements before President Donald Trump's administration agrees to talk with them.
"They have to say, for the first time, the Iranian regime, we recognize Israel's right to exist," Graham said. "If they can't say that, then you're never gonna get a deal worth a damn.
Trump said on Friday that he is open to conducting additional strikes against Iran, should Tehran pick up its nuclear program again to a level that is concerning to the U.S.
"Sure. Without question, absolutely," Trump told reporters Friday when asked about the possibility of subsequent strikes.
Trump has previously issued similar warnings to Iran, and said Wednesday at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands that if Tehran were to seek to repair its nuclear program once more, the U.S. would not hesitate to move forward with additional strikes.
Trump also slammed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who declared victory over Israel on Thursday. Trump countered Khamenei's claims and said he spared the ayatollah from death.
"I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'"
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